<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>After Olympus by v_i_o_l_e_t_s</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26013334">After Olympus</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/v_i_o_l_e_t_s/pseuds/v_i_o_l_e_t_s'>v_i_o_l_e_t_s</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, M/M, also annabeth is a little problematic at first, also! percabeth isnt planned as endgame here, and this will not be getting my full attention so it wont be my best but here's hoping its decent, but it is driven by the other characters as well, but it will be pretty fluffy and low stress compared to the series, but its the only relationship i know thatll be in this for now so ill tag as i add more, i always thought theyd break up aklfddfkldsafjs, maybe the occasional myth stuff but mostly character driven, not all of the characters are equally important, so thats what im doing here, this is annabeth centric, this is ooc fair warning lol!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:14:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,244</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26013334</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/v_i_o_l_e_t_s/pseuds/v_i_o_l_e_t_s</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Annabeth Chase is stellar at being a demigod. She's strong, smart, and keeps her team in check. But her questing days are over, and she never learned how to navigate normal friendship--let alone learned the complexities of human experience. Que a journey of internal and external discovery... Hooray!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>After Olympus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Annabeth frowned, twirling a blonde curl around her pencil as a girl with blue hair stared at her from the other side of the room. She was at a little cafe, waiting for Percy. </p><p>The blue-haired girl strolled over, one hand grasping a sketch book and the other tucked into her front pocket. </p><p>Annabeth noticed she was tall--maybe even taller than Percy--and somewhat alternative, wearing ripped black skinny jeans and oversized black band t-shirt, which was tucked in at the front. A silver necklace dangled past the collar, out of Annabeth's sight. Annabeth asked, "Did you want something?" </p><p>The blue-haired girl, a barista at the cafe who was about to go on shift, nodded. "I was wondering if you wanted to hang out sometime."</p><p>Annabeth, who'd noticed the girl working here a few times, was startled but nodded. </p><p>The barista smiled. "Great. My name is Xena. Here's my number." She held out a slip of paper to Annabeth. </p><p>Annabeth stared at it a moment but took it, smiling back cautiously. Taking the paper made her weirdly jittery, especially when her fingers brushed the other girl's. "Annabeth," she introduced in return. </p><p>Xena nodded. "I have to get to work. Text me sometime, and we can set something up," Xena said and winked. She turned away from Annabeth and walked away. </p><p>Annabeth nodded, clearing her throat. She felt her face grow hot and took her hair out of her ponytail, letting her blonde curls form a barrier between her and the girl, whom was now sporting a brown apron and doing some idle task behind the counter. </p><p>Percy arrived thirty minutes later, having been finishing up an attempt at the SAT. He strolled in, sporting his typical grin and carrying the skateboard Annabeth designed and made for him. They were planning on going to New Rome together in the fall of the next year. It was nearing September now, and they were both scrambling to get decent SAT scores so they could apply in time. Annabeth already had a good SAT score, but she still had to finish her senior year, which she was taking with Rachel and Percy. She totally wasn't overwhelmed. Okay, maybe she was, but not because she doubted her intelligence. She just wasn't fond of all the useless, irrelevant crap that her classes had her memorizing. Her grades were slowly dipping, and she was growing a little concerned. Not that she'd tell anyone but Percy that. </p><p>"Ready to shred?" Percy asked. </p><p>Annabeth smiled. Percy was such a dork. "Only if you're ready for me to fall on my face a hundred times," she replied, packing up her study materials and stuffing them into her beat-up messenger bag. </p><p>Percy scoffed. "Annabeth, the best fighter I know, falling on her face? I bet you'll be a natural." </p><p>Annabeth tucked her reusable coffee mug in her bag more carefully, making sure the cap was on snugly. She didn't want a repeat of the Iced Latte Incident. </p><p>"Is it okay if I order something real quick? That test made me tired," Percy said. </p><p>Annabeth nodded and gave him some money. He tried to reject it, but she just kept holding it out until he took it with a sheepish smile. She smiled fondly at his back. Annabeth's father hadn't been there for her when she needed him, but he did insist on giving her way too much money than she knew what to do with. Annabeth liked using it to spoil her boyfriend. Said boyfriend was usually too polite to take her money without insistence on her part. She adored him for it, but it also made her sad. </p><p>Percy returned a minute later with an iced latte--he and Annabeth had the same order. They were alike in more ways than people usually assumed. People made a lot of assumptions about Percy in general. Like that he was stupid, which couldn't be further from the truth. He was incredibly intuitive and thought well on his feet. He was just a bit impulsive at times. People also assumed he was a troublemaker--mostly because of his overgrown skater boy hair, ripped jeans, and tendency to jump to the defense of people he'd never met. But also because they saw his ADHD symptoms and thought that made him less capable of being intelligent. People did that to Annabeth too, but she was prouder. She'd go out of her way to prove them wrong. Percy let people think he was stupid and knew which people did.</p><p>They left the shop, Annabeth carrying the board so they could hold hands and Percy could sip his drink. </p><p>"That barista was eyeing you a bit when I walked into the shop. Did you make a new friend?" Percy teased, smiling. The demigods didn't have many friends outside of the other demigods they knew, so mortal friends were always noteworthy. </p><p>Annabeth rolled her eyes, begging for her face not to heat up again. She got along well with most people, but she didn't know how to talk to girls her same age--other than Piper and Rachel. Hazel was a little younger, so she was easier to talk to. "She gave me her number and asked to hang out." </p><p>"Just cold turkey asked for your number?" Percy asked, eyebrows raised. </p><p>Annabeth nodded. </p><p>Percy took a sip of his drink, nearly bumping into an older businessman who wasn't paying attention to where he was going. Percy shifted his shoulder out of the way just in time, eyes still on Annabeth. "I think you got hit on, Annabeth." </p><p>Annabeth laughed. "No, Percy. You saw the barista. She was a girl. A long haired, dangl-y necklace wearing girl. It was totally a platonic thing." </p><p>Percy stared. "Oh, Annabeth, you really are a Republican, aren't you?" He replied, only half joking. </p><p>Annabeth retorted, "It doesn't take a Republican to tell that girl wasn't a lesbian." </p><p>Percy took another sip of his drink. "We've been so caught up in all the demigod stuff… I didn't realize you could just miss learning about the LGBT+ community living in New York. What else don't you know, Annabeth?" He hadn't realized his genius of a girlfriend could have such a blind spot in her education. </p><p>Annabeth's face burned bright red. "I know about the LGBT+ community. I know Nico and Will." </p><p>"The fact that they're the only LGBT+ people you can name from camp is proof of your need for education. It's okay. After Nico told me I wasn't his type, I did some research. I can fill you in," Percy assured. </p><p>"Who… who are the other LGBT+ people from camp?" Annabeth asked. She ran through the list of campers she knew, but none stood out.</p><p>Percy gently bumped her hip with his. "They'll tell you eventually." </p><p>Annabeth nodded, but the matter weighed on her mind as they reached the skate park. </p><p>Today Percy was finally teaching her how to skate after years of insisting she learn and having no time which either of them could commit to it. </p><p>Annabeth, as it turned out, was pretty much a natural. She did struggle some, but her athleticism and strategic mind helped her nail different facets of skating in shorter periods of time to the point that she was insisting she could grind a rail--if only Percy would teach her how to do it. </p><p>Percy shook his head. "Not without a helmet. Plus, your turning needs some work," he insisted. This was a side of him that people rarely remembered--the side that was reigning in other people's reckless impulses. He'd put himself in danger but tried to prevent others from doing the same--even just with skateboarding. </p><p>Annabeth huffed but practiced a few more turns--still not quite good--and sat down next to her boyfriend, whom had some article or another pulled up on his phone and one earbud in. </p><p>Percy was reading about sea life and blasting some loud music with heavy guitar riffs and intense vocals. His iced latte was nearly empty, an inch or two of coffee mixing with melting ice at the bottom of the clear reusable cup. "Ready to go? I was thinking we could meet up with Piper. She just texted me. Sounds like she could use a pick-me-up," he said, standing and gathering all his stuff. He didn't offer his girlfriend a hand up. He knew how she hated that. </p><p>"A pick-me-up… do you know her favorite candy?" Annabeth asked, getting up, Percy's skateboard under her arm. </p><p>Percy nodded. He made sure to ask people questions like that--make them feel known. They didn't need to know he had to put it all down on a list to remember. </p><p>"Alright, I'll pay. Movie night at Rachel's with the gang?" Annabeth asked, phone already out to text the others. Athena, along with a few demigods from both camps, had recently invented a way for demigods to use phones. It was complicated so not everyone could get it at once, but saving the world put them at the top of the list. </p><p>Percy nodded, smiling, and kissed Annabeth on the cheek. He really did adore her. </p><p>They left the park, strolling along quietly until Annabeth said, "Nico and Leo can't. Frank and Hazel are stuck in a meeting with Reyna tonight. Jason and Thalia are busy. Clarisse and Chris are in Arizona but send their love--along with a few cute photos." Annabeth smiled then frowned. "Grover and Juniper are busy. Ugh, why are all of our friends busy?" </p><p>Percy kissed her temple. She was nearly as tall as he was, so he didn't have to lean down. "Life, babe." </p><p>Annabeth sighed. "I know, but I hate it. Is it weird to miss the days when we were dodging swords and curses just because they felt less lonely?" </p><p>Percy squeezed her hand. "You're not alone, Annabeth. You got me."</p><p>Annabeth's smile was bittersweet. "I know, but it's like… I was surrounded by campers or classmates for so long. Now the demigods we know are always busy, and my old school friends don't follow me back on Instagram." She wasn't particularly close to anyone in high school--for the most part--but the lack of response to her follow requests and the occasional block coupled with her friends only being able to hang out occasionally stung--even if Percy stood by her. </p><p>Percy nodded but didn't understand that much. Before camp, he had his mom and Grover. That was it. That was enough. Even if he'd grown more used to a bigger bunch, going back to a few constants didn't feel that odd to him. "You have a new friend," he said. "She lives around here and seems like she's probably mortal." </p><p>Annabeth nodded. "How long were we at the park?" she asked. </p><p>Percy looked at the time. Then realized he hadn't checked it when they went in or when he finished the SAT. "I have no idea." </p><p>Probably for the best, Annabeth decided. The impulse to invite the barista died as they continued walking, chatting idly. </p><p>They stopped at a corner store to get some candy and popcorn before wandering into a pop culture shop to browse movies. They were going to Rachel's so there was no shortage of streaming services available, but both Percy and Annabeth appreciated the old school methods--only resorting to streaming when they couldn't find a physical copy of a movie they wanted. </p><p>"Hey, Imagine Me &amp; You, we should watch this one," Percy suggested. He handed Annabeth the movie so she could read the summary. </p><p>Annabeth bit her lip, considering. "Do you think the others would be into a movie like this?" she asked. </p><p>Percy shrugged. "I figure it probably won't remind Piper of anything she's upset about." </p><p>It would only be one of a handful of movies they'd end up watching… Annabeth nodded. "Sounds good. I have Shrek. What else did you pick?" </p><p>"Rachel has been on a real TV kick, so I was going to let her drag us into bingeing something after we finished the movies," Percy said. </p><p>Annabeth nodded. For all her frustration at feeling lonely, she hadn't reached out to Rachel. Some childish distrust still clung to her like a fever she just couldn't shake. "Let's go then." </p><p>Annabeth paid again, waving away Percy's attempt to pay for half. He'd been working a part time job, but Annabeth wanted him to save it for when she wasn't around to spread her wealth to him, which wouldn't have been often if Annabeth could've helped it. </p><p>The walk to Rachel's wasn't too long, but--by the time they got to her neighborhood--Annabeth could feel people judging them. Percy for his whole skater boy thing and Annabeth for holding hands with Percy. Annabeth knew what she was after all--a rich girl. She knew her privilege could be a weapon--or it could be a shield. She held her boyfriend's hand tighter, but--if he noticed the looks--he didn't show it. </p><p>Rachel's place was large and ornate--separated from the other houses by a tall fence made of curled wrought iron. The house itself was stunning--built with Gothic inspired detailing and painted with cool, deep hues. </p><p>Annabeth herself had never truly appreciated the Gothic style until she saw the Dare mansion, and it never ceased to dazzle her. </p><p>Percy opened the front door with the key Rachel gave him. "We're here," Percy called softly as they walked up the smooth stone stairs and to Rachel's door. </p><p>Rachel opened the door, clad in a pair of paint-splattered jeans and one of Piper's flannels, red hair pulled back into a messy bun. The jeans were rolled up at the ankles--clearly borrowed or purposefully bought too big. </p><p>Percy narrowed his eyes. "Are those mine?" he asked. </p><p>Rachel laughed. "Don't be silly. They're Thalia's!" </p><p>Annabeth frowned. "When did you even--?" Rachel was always wearing someone else's clothes despite the fact that she had infinitely more money any teenage girl could possibly spend. </p><p>Percy patted Annabeth on the shoulder and walked past Rachel into the room. </p><p>Annabeth and Rachel stared awkwardly at each other for a moment before Annabeth got her feet moving and brushed past. No matter how many times she came over, the tension between her and Rachel just wouldn't quit. </p><p>Piper was a sight to behold, wrapped in a questionable number of blankets and leaning back against Rachel's mountain of pillows. She looked more numb than upset, but she sat up like she was struck by lightning when she saw the goodies Percy and Annabeth were carrying. "You got my favorite," she said as Percy poured the grocery bags onto the covers. Her pretty brown eyes lit up, and she smiled. "Thank you, guys." She brought her arms out from the blankets to cuddle the packs of sour candies to her chest. Her eyes landed on the movies. "Shrek and…" She looked up at Percy inquiringly. </p><p>Percy shrugged. "It looked interesting." </p><p>Annabeth thanked the gods that Percy didn't bring up the conversation they'd had earlier. </p><p>Piper nodded, but she had a soft--nearing tender--look on her face as she looked up at Percy. </p><p>Annabeth knew she was missing something but didn't know what. </p><p>Rachel chimed in, "Let's go make the popcorn." She gathered the bags of it and motioned for Annabeth to follow her. </p><p>Annabeth nodded, but her gaze lingered on the look Piper and Percy were sharing until they were out of sight. </p><p>"You hang out with Thalia now," Annabeth stated. </p><p>Rachel shrugged. "I hang out with a lot of people," she replied. </p><p>Annabeth nodded. "Did you do the history homework?" </p><p>Rachel smiled a strange little half smile. "Yeah, it was boring as hell." </p><p>Annabeth scrunched her nose. She always forgot Rachel had more of a connection to the abrahamic religions than the Greek pantheon that dominated Annabeth's life. "I hate learning about all these dead guys. I wish they had more classes about things that are actually interesting." </p><p>Rachel nodded, leaning against the counter as the popcorn popped in the microwave. </p><p>Annabeth wanted to fill the silence but couldn't think of anything substantial enough--instead taking out the knife she kept sheathed at the small of her back and playing with it to try to calm her raging thoughts. </p><p>Finally, as they were popping the last bag, Rachel said, "You'd kill it as a lesbian." </p><p>Annabeth's knife dropped to the floor, cutting into the cabinet Annabeth was leaning on as it fell to the floor. Luckily the stone floor was more durable and suffered no damage. "What?" she asked, incredulous. </p><p>Rachel motioned to her hands. "Girls are into the whole knife twirling thing," Rachel elaborates, taking the last bag from the microwave. </p><p>"What do you know about what girls are into?" Annabeth asked, leaning to pick the knife up. She tucked it back in the sheath and moved to help pour the bags into two large bowls. She'd apologize for the cabinet later. </p><p>Rachel raised her eyebrows. "I am a girl." </p><p>Annabeth grabbed one of the full bowls. "But you're straight…" </p><p>Rachel rolled her eyes. "Look, straight boys are usually into girls with more feminine attributes while girls who like girls are not as… confined by archaic gender roles, so they're totally into 'could kill you' vibes. That was the joke." She muttered, "Not as funny when I have to explain it." </p><p>Annabeth felt like she'd missed learning something all the people she knew had a complex understanding of. Had she always fumbled this much when it came to discussing this stuff? What had she said when she found out Nico was gay? Annabeth scrambled to make up for her blunder. "Sorry, I just… have a lot on my mind recently. I've been a bit spacey." </p><p>Rachel nodded. "Finally don't have a sword hanging above your neck." She picked up the other bowl. </p><p>Annabeth sighed. "Yeah. It feels weird, and I don't think I've quite adjusted. Everyone else seems so fine while I'm struggling with easy math because I'm thinking about all the questing I'll never do again." </p><p>"I get that. After you hit a god with a brush, you never stop thinking about how you're no longer hitting a god with a brush," Rachel said, leading the way up the steps. </p><p>Annabeth didn't realize she'd have this in common with Rachel. She felt guilty for pushing her away because of her jealousy. Percy was trustworthy, and she didn't understand why she felt such an odd aversion to Rachel since Rachel had never been anything but respectful towards the relationship between Percy and Annabeth. So why did seeing her smile as she shouldered the door open make Annabeth feel so… annoyed. </p><p>Annabeth followed, and the gang got all cuddled up together in the bed. Usually Annabeth kept to the fringes, mostly just next to Percy, but she decided to branch out a little, getting right in the middle of the bed next to Piper. She held one of the bowls while Rachel leaned back against Piper's front, bowl in her lap. </p><p>Annabeth had some conflicting emotions about that situation. Rachel always seemed to be comfortable in other people's space. She wasn't in everyone's face all the time or anything, but she was definitely the type to sit on her friends' laps when there was plenty of space elsewhere. Annabeth was jealous of that ease as much as she appreciated Rachel being there for Piper. Piper's lips were pulled into a small frown, but her arms circled Rachel's midsection the way a child gripped a stuffed animal they were desperately attached to. </p><p>Percy finished setting up the first movie--they elected to go with the lesbian romcom--and slung his arm around Annabeth. </p><p>Annabeth resisted the urge to bury her nose in Percy's sweater, instead paying careful attention to her other friends. Percy didn't tell her what was upsetting Piper, but Annabeth could tell it was serious. Something she wasn't just going to tell her. </p><p>But the movie seemed to open up Piper a little. By the end, she was laughing along with Rachel, whom snorted when she laughed and did this infuriating scrunching thing with her nose. </p><p>The credits rolled, and Percy hopped up, ready to change the disk to Shrek. By then, the bowls were empty, but everyone had had their fill of popcorn. Annabeth set the bowls on the floor next to the bed. </p><p>But Piper stopped him. "Wait, Rachel had a show recommendation, and I think we should save Shrek for tomorrow." </p><p>Percy nodded and smiled, switching the TV's input so they could access the streaming services. He returned and snuggled up under Annabeth's arm, head rested on her chest. Annabeth pressed a kiss to the top of his head, heart bursting with affection for her boyfriend. </p><p>"A cartoon?" Piper asked as Rachel brought the show up. </p><p>Rachel shrugged. "Leo caught me watching cartoons one morning and mentioned it." </p><p>"Leo watches cartoons?" Percy asked, amused. </p><p>"Nico does, actually," Rachel corrected. </p><p>"That's… unexpected," Percy said. </p><p>“I thought so too until he told me why he chose it,” Rachel replied. </p><p>“Why’d he choose it?” Piper asked. </p><p>Rachel smirked. “Just watch.” </p><p>Annabeth did pay attention more to the screen this time, trying to figure out why Nico would choose it. She could not for the life of her tell. The story was interesting. The characters were interesting. But again Annabeth felt she was missing something that was obvious to everyone else. </p><p>Piper whispered something to Rachel, whom nodded and giggled. </p><p>Annabeth thought she heard what Piper said but decided she had to be mistaken. </p><p>Her attention was drawn to Percy. She could see his face as he watched. His lips were turned up at the corners, and his eyes were glued to the screen. He was really into it. </p><p>Annabeth still didn’t get why. She liked the show, but it was just a show about a girl who became a strong princess with a sword and fought her evil best friend who had cat ears and a tail. It was cool, but the others were looking at the screen with such… rapt attention. Truth be told, Annabeth preferred music to reading or watching anything. She theorized that was the difference. That this was how it had been for the movie, and she was just reading too much into it. So she half-paid attention and observed the people around her. </p><p>Piper caught her attention. Annabeth always thought Piper was pretty--most children of Aphrodite were. But Piper drew her in in a way Annabeth had trouble deciphering. She could tell other girls were pretty--she knew most of her girl friends were at least decently attractive--a blessing (or a curse?) of being born to the gods. But Piper… Annabeth could stare at her forever and never get bored. From her soft-looking, medium brown skin to her warm, dark brown eyes to her beautiful, dark brown hair to her--</p><p>“Annabeth,” Percy whispered, poking her side. </p><p>“Huh?” Annabeth looked down at him. </p><p>“Remote?” he asked. </p><p>“Oh.” She handed him the remote. </p><p>Percy switched the cartoon off and yawned. “Should Annabeth and I take the couch?”</p><p>Piper shook her head. “I want you all with me tonight.” </p><p>Annabeth had never been particularly affectionate, and she and Percy did usually take the couch. So she was freaking out a little on the inside. Where would her spot be? What if she accidentally ended up cuddling Rachel? Or Piper? Annabeth felt a sudden blush at the thought of cuddling with Piper. Hades, life after being a questing demigod was hard. How was she meant to navigate normal teenage friendships? </p><p>Rachel got up, stretching. “House rules--everyone has to wear pjs and at least pretend to brush their teeth with their finger.”</p><p>“We’re familiar,” Percy replied. He smiled and sat fully up. “That was a good show.” </p><p>Rachel nodded. “Who’s your favorite so far? Mine is probably Perfuma.” </p><p>Piper laughed. “Of course.” She let her blanket layers fall from her shoulders--revealing that she was wearing one of Rachel’s least paint-splattered shirts. “Hm. Catra?” </p><p>“Catra?” Rachel asked. </p><p>Piper shrugged, smiling to herself. “I find her entertaining.” </p><p>Percy said, “My favorite is Adora.”</p><p>“Adora is cool,” Rachel agreed. </p><p>“Who’s your favorite?” Piper asked Annabeth. </p><p>“Mine is Bow,” Annabeth responded. She admired his technological skills, his archery prowess, his knack for making and inventing, his brave but cautious disposition, and his upbeat, kind personality. </p><p>Piper smiled. “Bow is great.” </p><p>Annbeth nodded and yawned. </p><p>“Alright, go brush your teeth while I get the pjs!” Rachel said, popping up. </p><p>The did, all going to the closest bathroom--the one Rachel often used. It smelled of cologne and tea tree oil lotion--both of which were two of few items on the marble counter. Rachel was minimalist when it came to skin care and hygiene, and she never really wore makeup. There was a tube of pink gel eyeliner that tugged weirdly at Annabeth’s memory. She’d never seen the tube here before. She supposed Rachel might be experimenting with makeup. Annabeth recalled her own past judgements of girls who wore it. She wondered if she’d been overly critical. Rachel--while kind of annoying--wasn’t one of the shallow girls she’d encountered wearing makeup before--at camp and in school. </p><p>Annabeth stepped up to brush her teeth after Piper, making sure to brush for two minutes even though it probably didn’t make much difference given she was using her finger. </p><p>They walked back to the bedroom together, where Rachel had laid out pajamas for all of them. </p><p>“Try to figure out whose is whose while I go get ready for bed,” Rachel singsonged. She was already dressed in hers--a dog onesie. The hood was up--cute little dog ears atop her head. </p><p>They’d borrowed pajamas before, but Rachel never seemed to bring out the same garments twice. Before them sat: red plaid pajama bottoms, black basketball shorts, brown cloth overalls, a pink t-shirt with a borderline inappropriate slogan across the chest, a black rock band t-shirt, and a pale purple hoodie with the sleeves cut off.</p><p>“Well the pink shirt is obviously Percy’s,” Piper said. </p><p>“How do you guess?” Annabeth asked. </p><p>“He’s the funniest,” Piper reasoned. </p><p>Annabeth couldn’t argue with that. “Okay, pink t--Percy. Maybe mine is the rock band one?” </p><p>Percy shook his head. “Nope!”</p><p>“Mine is rock. Yours is the hoodie,” Piper confirmed. </p><p>Annabeth frowned. “Why?” </p><p>“You have the best arms,” Percy said, “and Piper listens to the band on the shirt.”</p><p>Annabeth scowled. She was smart when the logic operated on cohesive data. Then the first thing Percy said dawned on her. “My arms?” she asked. She looked at her arms then at the arms of the others. Her biceps were bigger than both Piper’s and Percy’s. She had years of camp experience on both of them and had to train more to make up for a lack of flashy powers, so the disparity made sense. But choosing a garment that showed them off? She’d never really considered that. </p><p>Piper sighed. “He’s messing with you.” She paused. “Not that they aren’t good arms. They definitely are. Yours is a purple hoodie because your quest for the parthenon united the camps. The Camp Jupiter color is purple.” </p><p>Annabeth nodded, smiling softly. Piper had a contented look on her face. Annabeth was happy to see her not so upset but wondered at what was burdening her earlier. Did Piper not trust her enough to say? </p><p>“Gym shorts are Annabeth’s, plaid pjs are Piper’s, overalls are mine,” Percy declared, smiling truimpanthly at having figured it out. </p><p>Annabeth raised an eyebrow. “Why?” </p><p>“You got the hoodie, so you need the shortest bottoms. The red and black of the plaid pairs with my shirt, and I often steal Rachel’s flannels. Percy always tries on overalls at stores but never buys them,” Piper explained, grabbing her pjs and walking over to the closet. She closed the door behind herself.<br/>
Annabeth sighed. She and Percy changed quickly, back turned to each other. </p><p>Rachel entered just as they were done, Piper asking if she could leave the closet a few moments later. Rachel cleared her throat and called the all clear. </p><p>“Good job. I thought I’d trip you up this time,” Rachel said. </p><p>“Cuddle time,” Piper declared, jumping onto the bed. </p><p>Annabeth knew she could do two things. She could either stay back and wait to settle somewhere on the outskirts (only) near Percy, or she could dive head first onto the bed next to Piper, securing a spot at the middle again. She chose the latter, plopping herself semi-gracefully next to her friend. </p><p>Piper asked, “Is it okay if I pull you closer?” </p><p>Annabeth didn’t hesitate. She nodded and let Piper pull her closer by the waist and rest her head on her chest--right over her heart. She was a stranger to casual, platonic affection and knew her face was probably frozen in some odd expression but couldn’t bring herself to care. </p><p>Percy settled on one side, putting a comforting hand on Piper’s back and resting his head up next to Annabeth’s. Rachel did something similar on the other side after turning the lights off and pulling the comforter they’d pushed to the end of the bed over all of them. </p><p>The others fell asleep rather quickly--or so it seemed to Annabeth. At least until Piper asked tentatively into the silence a few minutes later: “Percy?” </p><p>Percy made some vague noise of confirmation. </p><p>“I know I made the right choice,” Piper continued. </p><p>“Yeah,” Percy agreed. </p><p>“But I think it was about more than him,” she whispered. </p><p>Annabeth wished for sleep. She didn’t want to intrude--even if she was a little curious. </p><p>“What else was it about?” Percy asked. His voice was muffled, face against his pillow. </p><p>“Who,” Piper said. </p><p>“Huh?” Percy asked. He sounded half asleep. He probably was. </p><p>“I think I like someone else,” Piper said. Her voice sounded so small--vulnerable. </p><p>Annabeth was worried now. What if Piper liked Percy? That would complicate everything.</p><p>“I could be wrong,” Piper said. </p><p>“Who is he, Pipes? You can tell me.” </p><p>“She,” Piper whispered. </p><p>“Who is she?” Percy corrected himself. </p><p>He said it like it was nothing. Like this revelation that Piper was interested in a girl wasn’t world changing. Like it didn’t send Annabeth’s heart racing. Like it didn’t steal the breath from her lungs, nearly exposing the fact that she was awake. Annabeth knew this reaction was a little extreme. What did the gender of the person that Piper liked matter to Annabeth? Piper’s preferences didn’t affect her life. At. All. So why in Tartarus was she so happy? </p><p>Annabeth thought. She immediately dismissed the more improbable possibilities. She remembered her talk with Percy about lgbt+ campers. She now knew about one other than Nico. That had to be her source of happiness, right? Some of the mystery had been alleviated. That was all. Annabeth forced her brain to move on. Or tried to. </p><p>“It doesn’t matter. She’ll never like me back,” Piper said eventually. </p><p>“I’m sure that’s not true,” Percy replied. </p><p>“It is. She’s straight.” </p><p>Annabeth’s interest was peaked. </p><p>“If you want to talk… I’m here for you,” Percy said. </p><p>Annabeth wanted to groan in frustration. She needed to know. Annabeth had shocked herself. Need was a strong word, and she’d meant it. </p><p>“Thank you, Percy. Goodnight.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Piper.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>okay yes i headcanon the athena kids as buff bc they dont have fancy powers what about it</p><p>i know what youre thinking why does annabeth seem like she has a little bit of a crush on every girl she meets</p><p>and the answer is simply that shes looking respectfully bc shes suddenly free to do whatever after the war and shes realizing that her friends are pretty and yknow what thats okay</p><p>if it seems like Annabeth is gay for PIper... she kind of is okay. but Annabeth isnt doing it on purpose and i will never have any of the characters cheat on each other bc im better than that</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>